


Universum Auream

by Wierdkid20



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: AU of an AU, Gen, dude how to even tag this, the special crossover episode
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-07
Updated: 2018-12-31
Packaged: 2019-09-13 06:35:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,222
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16887459
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wierdkid20/pseuds/Wierdkid20
Summary: After Yellow Diamond disappears for twenty years, Domina finally goes looking forwardA crossover between Vulgaris Adamas and Golden Universe





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Golden Universe](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10826712) by [Squish13](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Squish13/pseuds/Squish13). 



> So Squish has been my beta for many chapters of my current series "Vulgaris Adamas". She's also a fantastic writer in her own right (or write, heh) and I have tremendously enjoyed her Golden Universe au. Seriously go read it, you'll realize just how much you wanted greg and yellow to go on a car trip with eachother. So, this came out of that, a chance for our words to collide.
> 
> It was supposed to come out monday but life got in the way so here it is! Hopefully I'll have the next chapter for you next week.
> 
> Enjoy!

“Twenty years.” Domina muttered, shaking her head. Her pearl glanced over at her then returned to the screen in front of her. “What do you think she’s been doing?”

 

“I’m afraid I have no idea, My Diamond.” Pearl said.

 

“You haven’t heard anything from her pearl?” She asked, she didn’t know how much the pearls talked but surely if something was wrong...

 

“I have not.” Pearl didn’t look at her but Domina knew she was just as uneasy about this whole situation.

 

“Well nothing like going in blind on a planet we’ve never been to.” Domina paused and amended her statement. “Or at least one that I’ve never been to before.” Pearl didn’t respond. She just kept her eyes on the quickly approaching blue planet. Yellow Diamond had gone to this planet twenty years ago, ostensibly to check on a geo-weapon project, one that Domina was trying not to think about. That was a conversation to save for when she talked to Yellow. They would be having a  _ long _ conversation about this ‘Cluster’.

 

There had been a second team sent maybe a few months after and they had disappeared without a trace. No other attempts had been made. And considering the history of Earth, Domina really couldn’t fault Yellow’s court for not wanting to risk anymore gems to it. Besides, if Domina went, that meant she got to take a break from running the empire.

 

“Any thoughts on a landing site pearl?” Domina switched to manual controls and began their descent.

 

“There's an old dropship landing site in Facet 12, though the second team last reported that they were landing closer to Facet 5.” Pearl transferred the map to the Styx’s main screen with a flick of her wrist. “Though there is a human settlement close by.”

 

Domina smiled.

 

“I guess that means we get to see if the cloaking device still works in this thing.”

 

Domina opted for landing outside of town, far away enough from the crash site to hopefully avoid any hostile inhabitants. Though really, would humans even now be hostile? Domina had to admit, she was excited to see how the Earth of her father's stories had changed. Even now as buildings began to appear during their descent, she could see just how they had advanced.

 

She spotted the crashed handship, and Pearl made a confused sound as their decent revealed... decoration? Signs of human habitation? Why would humans take up residence in a gem ship?

 

The Styx landed and Domina opened the door, then ran to watch it slowly open, allowing fresh air to waft in.

 

There was something special about stepping onto a new planet. Especially after such a long time stuck on Homeworld.

 

Earth smelled of growth, and the soil was soft as Domina stepped out on to it. The air pressure and the gravity were ideal. The entire planet felt full of promise in that brief moment Domina stopped and took it in. She understood completely why it had been chosen for a Diamond’s first colony.

 

Of course the presence of intelligent life severely impacted that assessment.

 

“My Diamond, the crash is this way.” Pearl said impatiently, already a good distance from the Styx. Domina blushed momentarily. Right, they were on a mission. Domina tore her eyes away from the horizon and the ocean.

 

“Coming.” She said, following Pearl. The crash loomed in front of them, getting even stranger as they approached. Domina resisted the urge to draw her sword. She didn’t have good experiences with aliens, but humans had had worse experiences with gems she was sure. Pearl walked lighter than normal, apparently this situation didn’t make a whole lot of sense to her either.

 

“Thoughts?” Domina prompted.

 

“Why is it so far away from the town itself?” Pearl asked. “Humans are social, if one is living here then what’s wro-”  Pearl stopped mid sentence, both with her words and movement.

 

“Huh?” Domina paused and looked at her, then followed her gaze back to the ship, specifically, as the crest of one of the fingers that was still attached. “A robonoid?”

 

“A robonoid.” Pearl confirmed with a nod.

 

“Not human then,” Domina said with a slight relief. This situation was complicated enough without adding her meeting humans for the first time. Still, Domina didn’t draw her sword, no reason to approach this aggressively. They took another few steps forward, stopping when the robonoid suddenly turned towards them and began to sound an alert. “And now they know we’re here.” Domina said, the confidence in her voice slipping.

 

She was White Diamond, she didn’t have any reason to fear any common gems. Or rather shouldn’t. But something was wrong, and Domina wasn’t exactly immune to the things that ‘common gems’ could deal out.

 

Before they could react to the alarm, a hatch opened near the robonoid and a triangular head rose out from it. An era 2 peridot, whose annoyance Domina could hear from far enough off.

 

“There was a peridot on the secondary team.” Pearl murmured. Domina nodded, why Homeworld had only decided to send a peridot and a jasper after Yellow Diamond was beyond her. The peridot surveyed them, and froze as her eyes landed on Domina and Pearl. Domina waved.

 

The peridot disappeared back into the ship with a shriek.

 

“Well, now they know we’re here!” Domina said, her hidden unease was breaking through her easygoing facade. Even if she had thought gems would be here, that wasn’t the reaction would have expected.

 

“Yes they do.” Pearl said, sounding similarly concerned. Domina pushed through her fear and doubled her pace. She didn’t draw her sword but she made sure she had a good hold on the air currents around her.

 

“Any ideas?” Domina asked.

 

“None.” Pearl said, her hand ghosting over her gem. “Are we to assume they’ve gone rogue? Or simply mistook you for a human?”

 

“Pearl, I’ve never been mistaken for a human by a gem.”

 

“There's a first time for everything.”

 

“True, I’m going to go up there and... knock on the door. And when everything goes wrong...” Domina looked around for vantage points, already planning an escape route, and most importantly, making sure pearl wasn’t going to be completely exposed, there weren’t a lot of options. “Maybe you should go back to the sh-”

 

“Absolutely not.” Pearl said, Domina nearly tripped over a rock in surprise. She looked at Pearl, and Pearl looked back at her with an expression that clearly read ‘Oh stars, I did not mean to say that out loud.’

 

“Alright then.” Domina said, unable to stop a smile coming to her face, even if she wanted to.

 

They paused at the door, and Domina hesitated. The peridot had taken her by surprise, Domina was honestly expecting to find them bubbled somewhere on planet, Yellow obviously didn't want to be disturbed, even if she had crash landed on a planet that was practically synonymous with failure to most gems.

 

But if the secondary team was still corporeal, and yet had not contacted Homeworld in the nearly ten years they had been on earth, then what had happened? What was going on?

 

“Would you like me to knock, My Diamond?” Pearl asked, shocking Domina out of her thoughts. She could hear the hum of the ship, it was as familiar as her own heart beat. Someone was in there.

 

“No, I've got it.” Domina said rapping three times on the door. Hard. For good measure. There wasn't anything for a moment. But they were being watched, there was a camera on the right hand side of the door, pointed directly at them. Pearl budged her gently and gestured to the left side, which had a matching camera.

 

“Yellow!” Domina shouted. “Are you in there?” Probably not the most dignified way of going about it. But honestly, neither was hiding out on a planet halfway across the universe for Homeworld.

 

There was some shuffling on the other side and some slightly hushed voices. Domina leaned forward to try to figure out exactly what kind of gem was on the opposite side, when the door opened, revealing a jasper, the ‘Perfect Quartz’ if Domina remembered right. Jasper looked down at Domina disdainfully.

 

“What do you want...” She paused for a moment and looked Domina up and down. “Goshenite?”

 

Pearl, for her part, kept a straight face. No one ever assumed she was White Diamond when they met her for the first time..

 

“You’re the Jasper from the Earth kindergarten correct? You were sent here on the research mission for Yellow-” Domina was cut off by a gasp from Pearl. She frowned, puzzled, and leaned over to look past the Jasper.

 

“Pink?” Yellow Diamond’s pearl stared back at them, well at Pearl specifically. “Pink, what are you-” Jasper stepped aside to look at both pearls with confusion, thus revealing Domina’s presence. Yellow’s pearl sputtered. “W-White Diamond? What- How-”

 

“White Diamond?!” A peridot’s nasally voice interjected. “You can’t possibly be serious.” Domina managed to pick the gem out from one of the upper floors of the askew handship. “But that would mean-” She was cut off by a ferocious look from the jasper.

 

“Would mean?” Domina asked, looking around the rest of the ship. No sign of Yellow, other than her pearl who looked panicked. Shale, what had happened? “Where is Yellow, er Yellow Diamond?” Yellow’s pearl stiffened.

 

“What are you doing here?” Jasper asked, she looked... unimpressed and Domina couldn’t blame her. However, that didn’t mean she had to be nice about it.

 

“That's none of your business, quartz.” Domina snapped then turned to Yellow’s Pearl again. “Where is Yellow Diamond? I don’t care about how long she’s been gone but I can’t keep on like th-”

 

“Guys?” A voice said, a human voice that trickled down from the upper areas of the ship. “What’s going on?” Domina tracked the source of the voice up to a male, no,  _ boy _ was the term. He had brown hair that stuck up in odd angles and wore a black shirt with a star on it. And buried in his chest, was a diamond, a yellow diamond.

 

Next to Domina, Pearl took in a breath, the other gems paused and looked between the two hybrids. One had a puzzled expression that indicated he hadn’t quite figured out what the significance of this stranger’s appearance was. The other wore a look of shock as all the pieces filtered into place, leaving her room for only one reaction.

 

“Oh frack me.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Later than I wanted to post it, but here's the next chapter.. and I guess theres one more after this, so I can wrap it up nicely, sigh.
> 
> Hope you like this chapter though!

Steven was already regretting the late night movie watching session with his dad. He had gotten back late and then spent several hours talking with Peridot about the escape pod he was working on until Pearl shooed him off to bed.  And after that, well he couldn’t sleep so he picked up that series that Connie had recommended him. It was good, if a bit silly. 

 

He woke up mid-morning to the sound of a robonoid alarm going off. Which wasn’t unusual, sometimes corrupted gems that attacked the temple in Beach City drifted up here, they’d be taken care of in a bit, either by the Crystal Gems or Jasper. Not like he was supposed to help anyway, not until he could summon his weapon, or throw lightning reliably. Steven sat up lazily, carefully moving and marking his place in the book that was splayed out on his chest.

 

By the time he was rummaging for clean clothes, he could hear Peridot panicking in the main room of the ship. There were no sounds of gem monsters outside though, which was kind of weird. He slid his sneakers on and heard an unfamiliar voice yelling. 

 

“Yellow! Are you in there?”  Steven frowned and tried to angle his head around the edge of the window frame to look at the front door. He didn’t see anyone but the door opened, and a scant few seconds later there was a lot of talking. Steven frowned, straightened his shirt and walked through his bedroom door.

 

“I don’t care about how long she’s been gone,” The voice continued, Steven leaned over the railing and looked down. The voice matched a... He wasn't sure what type of gem that one was, an off color maybe? She was as tall as Garnet with brown skin and black hair that kind of looked like an oil slick after rain. Her gem was on her forehead and it didn't match the rest of her colors. The other one was a pearl, pink, kind of the same color as Rose’s hair, definitely more fancy than his pearls. But these were two different gems! They had to be from Homeworld, and they had to have a ship! He wondered if he could take a look at it before they left. He noted the tense looks between Jasper, Peridot, and Pearl, there was also the question of what they were doing here, that might be a bit more important.

 

“Guys?” He finally said, interrupting the brown gem. “What's going on?” All the eyes in the room snapped up to him, Pearl looked even more panicked, the pink pearl’s eyes went wide and the brown gem... paled? Like the blood had drained from her face, why would she imitate a human fear response, that didn't make any sense.

 

“Oh frack me.” The brown gem swore. The last time he had heard that particular swear, Jasper had received the most ferocious scolding from Pearl that Steven had ever heard. 

 

“Steven!” Pearl said nervously. “I thought you were still asleep...”

 

“Yellow Diamond, I presume?” Pink Pearl asked Steven. The brown gem was still staring at him. 

 

“Uh... My mom was,” Steven fiddled with the edge of his shirt. “So I guess I'm kind of Yellow Diamond- but I'm not my mom, my name's Steven. If that makes sense.”

 

“Yes.” The brown gem said bluntly. She looked at him disbelievingly, despite the fact that she said his explanation had made sense. Steven wondered if he needed to elaborate. “I mean, it makes no sense at all but... Shards, frack, shale.” The brown gem groaned and rubbed the setting of her gem. “Sorry, I need a moment.” She said before exiting the ship quickly.

 

“Who was that?” Steven asked, descending the stairs quickly. Pink Pearl looked between him and Pearl with a look on her face that was somehow more surprised than it had been before.

 

“That is... Domina, White Diamond.” Pink Pearl said finally, before quickly exiting the room. Steven’s first reaction was that this ‘Domina’ didn’t really look like a diamond, she just kind of looked like... well Steven didn’t exactly have a wide sample size to say someone was a normal gem, but the statement still stood. His second reaction was that Domina wasn’t even a gem name. 

 

“She’s...” Steven stopped himself. That wasn’t even possible. How... how had Pearl not told him? Why had Pearl not told him?

 

“Another hybrid?” Peridot blurted. “White Diamond is a hybrid? That's impossible?”

 

“Why? We have Steven.” Jasper said, folding her arms.

 

“She is.” Pearl said. 

 

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Steven asked. “She’s like me! When you told me about the diamonds you didn’t think to mention that White Diamond was half human?!”

 

“Steven, There was little chance of you two meeting and it wasn’t as if Domina is exactly common knowledge.”

 

“But you knew!” Steven snapped, the hair on his head started to stand up and everyone in the room collectively took a step back. Steven grumbled and shook his hand, the electricity arced off his hand onto the ground, no more powerful than a static shock. “I’m going to talk to her.” 

Outside, Domina wasn’t anywhere to be seen, which was concerning. Steven had to wonder if she had already left. 

 

“Up here.” Domina said after the door had shut behind him. Steven looked up and then turned around to see Domina sitting on one of the ship’s fingers, actually the one by his bedroom. Pink Pearl was next to her with an arm around Domina’s shoulders, the way Pearl sat with Steven sometimes. “Steven, right?” She said, she looked upset but still smiled at him. She had to have known his mom, and of course his mom hadn’t told her about him, otherwise she wouldn’t be this upset. 

 

“Yeah.” He said, then looked around, there were no easily accessible routes to that part of the outside of the ship. “How’d you get up there?”

 

“Flew.” Domina said with the same intonation that someone else might say walked. “Hold still, I’ll bring you up.”

 

“What?” Steven frowned. “Ho-” He was cut off by his clothes billowing around him as he felt himself picked up by an unbelievably strong gust of air. He was deposited next to Domina. 

 

“Sorry about earlier, I... this wasn’t at all what I was expecting when we landed.” Domina said. 

 

“Yeah, were you guys close?” Steven couldn't remember a lot of what Pearl had said about the other diamonds. He knew that Blue Diamond was still grieving the loss of Pink Diamond, and that Pink Diamond had once owned the Earth but had been shattered by Rose Quartz, something he was still processing. But, other than saying that White Diamond oversaw the empire’s colonization efforts, Pearl had been silent on the subject of White Diamond.

 

“Well...” Domina said. “I was certainly closer to her than I am with Blue Diamond. I spent 12 years with her on Homeworld, learning how to be a Diamond.” Domina actually looked at him then, giving him a crooked smile. “We rarely saw eye to eye on anything though, your mother was stubborn.” Steven chuckled.

 

“Yeah that’s what dad says...” Domina smile faded slightly.

“How old are you?” She asked.

 

“Fourteen.” Steven paused, there was really only one good follow up to that question. “How old are you?” Domina laughed.

 

“Stars, I’m... somewhere over four thousand years old.” She said, still chuckling. Pink Pearl sighed.

 

“Four thousand six hundred and thirty two. Domina if you do not need me here I’m going to speak with Yellow... Diamond’s pearl.” Pink Pearl’s eyes flickered over to Steven briefly, to gauge his reaction. Steven didn’t know what his reaction was supposed to be, so he just smiled. Domina nodded and with another gust of wind, Pink Pearl was on the ground, Steven tried not to be envious about the control she had, she had probably accidently fried a lot of computer systems in her time, or... like blown them over or something. 

 

“Can you tell her I’m not mad, not at her at least?” Domina called after Pink Pearl was on the ground. Pink Pearl nodded once, before re-entering the handship.

 

“That's so cool.” Steven finally blurted. “Whenever I use my gem powers I just make my hair stand straight up.”

 

“I have a lot of practice, you’ll get it eventually.”

 

“That's what Rose says.” Steven sighed. Domina tensed momentarily.

 

“Rose?”

 

“Rose Quartz, she’s the leader of the Crystal Gems.” Steven said, then had a thought, Rose should meet Domina right? If the Crystal Gems really wanted peace with Homeworld then Domina was in a better position to offer it than he was. Then again... Rose apparently did shatter Pink Diamond, plunging the empire into chaos. So maybe they shouldn’t meet. “How did you get to Earth?” Steven asked, changing the subject. Domina didn’t seem easily distracted but she answered his question.

 

“My ship’s docked that way.” Domina gestured towards the opposite side of the ship, away from Beach City. “Rose Quartz, she’s here, and Yellow- Your mother knew?”

 

“Yeah...” Steven said, “Mom asked her to keep an eye on me I guess.” 

 

“What, that...” Domina paused for a moment, then there was another controlled gust, that deposited them both on the ground. “Would you take me to meet her?”

****

Where was Domina even supposed to begin with all of this shale? Yellow wasn’t here. That was a good starting place, one she could work with. She was back at square one, Homeworld still really only had two (ok realistically more like one) diamonds. Changes were going to have to be made, especially considering...

 

Especially considering Steven. Yellow had given up her form, just like Domina’s mother had, but she hadn’t told anyone? Not even Domina who... stars she could have helped with something... anything. The moment Domina realized she was going to have to tell Blue she felt a headache coming on.

 

And to top all of this off, Rose Quartz was here. The shatterer of Pink Diamond was still alive, still on planet, and Domina didn’t know what to feel about that. She didn’t really understand war. The colonization fleet didn’t fight wars, they just fended off wildlife on occasion.  But she knew that losses were to be expected on both sides, especially on the side that lost. And there was no doubt in her mind that The Authority had lost the battle for Earth. She also knew that they hadn’t lost with grace. If Rose Quartz was here, and Yellow had known that she was, then Domina wanted to know why.

 

Steven took her through town, cheerfully pointing out the various shops, waving to people he knew. It was strange to see someone with a yellow diamond in their chest this cheery. Domina could count on one hand the amount of times Yellow had smiled in front of her. Steven though seemed happy, excited when he talked about the things he was studying, and above all, relaxed, which was such a nice thing to see in Yellow Diamond’s... son.

 

Steven led her to an area near the ocean, around a hill that revealed a giant statue, in the center of which was a warp pad and a single entrance multidimensional chamber, keyed to a few different gems. 

 

“This is the temple,” Steven said, walking right up to the door and knocking. “Amethyst is probably around, and hopefully Rose too.” Domina nodded and took note of the other gems in the activation plate. A ruby, a sapphire, and a pearl. Stars, this day was just getting stranger and stranger. The door opened and in it's entrance stood a pink gem. Definitely one  _ as big _ as a quartz.

 

Domina knew quartzes though. There were the gems that she was overwhelmingly closer with. She knew their base gemetic code almost by heart. She knew the way that their gems reflected the light.

 

“Hey Rose!” Steven said, grinning up at... Rose  _ Quartz _ . 

  
“Steven! What a surprise, who is your-” Rose trailed off as she focused on Domina. Domina watched Rose’s eyes focus on the gem in her forehead, and then saw realization dawn in those same eyes. “...friend.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took far too long to get up. but hey, that episode! and... stars lots of things happening on the show aren't there?
> 
> This is my last fic of the year and it has been so much fun writing this and I've enjoyed your comments so much. Thank You, you have truly made this year fantastic!
> 
> see you friday. :)

Rose didn’t regret shattering Pink Diamond. That was one thing she was sure of. But she could never have anticipated some of these consequences. The Cluster, corruption, Yellow Diamond coming to Earth, Steven, there was no way she could have expected any of this.  But even Garnet couldn’t have predicted that White Diamond would come to Earth, or... at least someone with White Diamond’s gem.

 

“This is Domina!” Steven said, gesturing towards the diamond. “She's uh-”

 

“White Diamond.” Domina said. She inclined her head gently, the way most of Homeworld’s elite addressed equals, or the way one diamond acknowledged another. It took all Rose had not to panic. 

 

“I- I see.” Rose said, stepping out of her room so the door could close, despite the fact that all she wanted to do was hide in it. 

 

It would make sense for Rose Quartz to be nervous in front of the leader of gem kind, it would make sense for anyone to be nervous. Even if they didn't have a previous relationship with said leader. Or rather said leader’s mother. What had happened that made White give up her form? Even having seen Yellow’s change on Earth, Rose couldn't imagine anything that would soften White.

 

“Nice to meet you.” Domina said, though nothing about her voice indicated that it actually was. “I've heard a lot about you.” Domina’s eyes darted to Rose’s gem.

 

“I wish I could say the same!” Rose said with a nervous chuckle. There was still a chance Domina didn't know. Domina smiled softly, Rose remembered seeing White smile once and this one was different, like the difference between Yellow’s and Steven’s, warmer, more full of life.

 

“Most of the empire doesn't know I exist, and I tend to stay away from Homeworld proper.” Domina paused, eyes flickering down again. “Of course, I'm a little after your time. You've missed quite a bit.” Still no hard proof that she knew. Rose nodded.

 

“So I've seen,” She caught Steven watching them, relieved, out of the corner of her eye. And part of her wished that she had told him, so she could avoid all this. Times like this made the past harder to tamp down. But maybe Domina hadn't figured it out, maybe she could have a fresh start with White Diamond.

 

“Could we talk?” Domina asked, then looked apologetically at Steven, shattering any ease Rose felt. “Alone. Sorry, Steven.”

 

“Oh uh, yeah. That's fine with me... I guess.”  Steven looked a little disappointed, giving Rose a flashback to being sent out of the room whenever the other diamonds needed to talk. But she  _ really _ wasn’t ready for Steven to know who she was, not yet.

 

“We really don’t have to talk now.” Rose said dismissively. “I’m sure you want to look around. After all, I’ll still be here.” Or in the middle of the Sahara, as far away from a warp pad as she could get. Domina’s smile twisted into something closer to the smile that Rose remembered, one with thin patience that still hinted at superiority. Though there was something else to it, a hint of the exhaustion she had seen from Yellow during her first few months on Earth.

 

“I’d really rather we do talk now.” Domina said, “I need to get back relatively soon.”

 

“Should I pack?” Steven piped up. Rose took a moment to stop panicking for her sake and looked between Steven and a very confused Domina. 

 

“Why would you need to pack?” she asked.

 

“Well... You came here to get my mom right?” Steven said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Stars there were too many similarities between him and Yellow sometimes. Was he really going to try and take on everything Yellow had done on Homeworld?

 

“I... did.” Domina said. Rose glanced at Domina. She knew that this wasn't White, that much was clear. But surely Domina was different enough that she wouldn’t pull Steven away from Earth. She had to be. Domina looked at Rose and frowned, then looked back at Steven. “You don’t need to pack, I’ll talk to you about it later.”

 

Steven looked like he wanted to argue, something Yellow certainly would never have done with White, but he didn’t, Domina gave him a pleading look and he sighed.

 

“Fine, I’ll be at the car wash,” He said, then pointed towards the building and gave Domina some directions. Finally they were alone, and Domina turned to look at her, sparing the temple door a brief glance.

 

“Is there any chance anyone else will come out of there any time soon?” She asked. 

 

“The others are on a mission,” Rose said, they had just left but Garnet said they wouldn’t be long. They didn’t need to know about this either. About her. Not yet. Not until... stars until she could free pearl from the order. What had she been thinking?

 

“So yes.” Domina said, she pursed her lips and leapt down to the beach, close to the shore. Rose followed her with a gentle step off the side. No use running now. This White Diamond knew, and Rose wasn’t leaving Earth, not even to escape the wrath of the diamonds.

 

Rose settled on the sand next to Domina, who was pacing in a very Yellow like manner, occasionally a wave would lap at her boot and she would hop out of the way, startled. What would it be like, a human raised so far away from her home planet, never having seen the ocean?

 

“Domina-” Rose began softly, Domina stopped and a gust of air ruffled the sand that she had tracked through, blowing it like a cloud into the air.

 

“Don’t,” She said agitated. “Just, don’t.” She still didn’t look at Rose. Instead, she took a deep breath and turned to Rose, her face as calm as White’s was during an agate’s report. “I think I understand what happened but why not explain and we’ll see if I’m right, Pink.”

 

* * * *

Was it really so crazy? Hadn’t Domina wished she wasn’t a diamond before? Hadn’t she wished that she could just be a normal gem? Not a diamond, not a hybrid, just a normal gem, without all the tension and questioning looks around her.

 

Was this really so different from letting new gems onboard the fleet think she was just some goshenite who had cracked with old age than a diamond who was anything but all powerful?

 

Then again, Domina had never led a rebellion over one planet, fought against herself and then faked her death. 

 

“Stars,” Was all that came out in the end. Domina didn’t look at Pink- Rose- “Which do you prefer?” She asked after too long mulling over it.

 

“Rose.” The Diamond said. Domina nodded, still not looking at Rose.

 

“No one else knows?”

 

“Pearl does, and Yellow did.” Rose said, she paused for a moment, “And you mother knew, I think.”

 

“Of course she did. The pearl that belonged to my mother?”

 

“Pearl belongs to no one.” Rose said sharply. And finally Domina looked at her and saw something that was far more stable than the barely concealed panic from before. Within Rose’s expression was the glow of a gem loyal to those around her. And Domina had to appreciate that, even if she wasn’t happy with the former diamond.

 

“Everyone belongs to someone,” She pursed her lips and folded her arms in preparation for the next answer. “What about my pearl? You didn’t think to tell her, she thinks you were shattered you know.”

 

Rose deflated slightly. “I... I wasn’t sure I could trust her, and by the time she came along everything was happening, and then she was with White-” 

 

“So what?” Domina snapped. “She was your pearl she would have done anything you asked!” Rose recoiled.

 

“Do you really think I would have ordered her to do something she didn’t want, this whole rebellion was about having a choice! Earth is about having a choice!”

 

“Earth is a planet, it’s not about anything!” Domina snapped. “It’s remarkably prosperous but it's just a planet!”

 

“How can you say that?” Rose looked frustrated, maybe as livid as she had been before. “You’re half human! This is your home!”

 

“My home?!” Domina felt her words grow icy, anger long held back finally bubbling to the surface. “My home is the fleet I haven’t seen in twenty star’s cursed years. The closest thing I have to a home planet is a dust ball two hundred and fifty seven light years away from Homeworld!” White Diamond shouted, heedless of the small sandstorm she had whipped from the sands around her. “This is not my home, and don’t pretend like it should be just be cause I’m half human, that means nothing!” Rose had backed away as she moved closer. “Because I'm half diamond too!”

 

“Rose!” A pearl’s voice shouted, Domina snapped back to reality and sand collapsed to the ground, she turned and found an ornate spear aimed at her, held by a pearl. Her mother's former pearl. Alongside her were an overcooked amethyst and... Something else, some kind of garnet maybe? Domina racked her brain for the types that had been discontinued since era 2 began. She shook her head, it wasn’t important.

 

“Pearl, I’m fine. She’s fine.” Rose said quickly, jostling Domina to the side. 

 

“Who the heck are you!?” The Amethyst shouted, baring a whip threateningly. White Diamond rolled her eyes, she had more important things to do.

 

“Leaving.” Domina said, lifting herself into the air. She could see the building Steven had said he would be at.

 

“Domina!” Rose called. Domina sighed and looked back down.

 

“What, Rose Quartz.” Domina said, feeling the venom of her words tingle on her tongue.

 

“About us... here. And what we talked about.” Rose said, she was trying to project the air of a leader who had won the conversation, instead of a gem who had been caught. But then again,  hadn’t Domina wished she wasn’t a diamond before? And didn’t she hate it when the spell of anonymity broke around her? 

 

“It will remain confidential.” Domina finally said, letting her voice project. The pearl’s eyes went wide and looked frantically between her and Rose, a hand slowly rising to her mouth. Domina frowned and narrowed her eyes at Rose. “But I will be back. After all, I have another Diamond to look in on.” 

 

She touched down onto the rock in front of the building and immediately was addressed.

 

“Hey, uh Domina, right?” 

 

She looked up and saw a human man with long hair that was balding at the top of his head. His skin was damaged slightly, turning red in a very familiar pattern. She pushed away thoughts of her father, definitely not time to dwell on those thoughts.

 

“Yes, you must be Steven’s father?” She asked, Steven grinned and slid off a nearby chair.

 

“Yup!” The man held out his hand, “Greg Universe.” Domina blinked at the hand and bowed slightly.

 

“Nice to meet you,” She hesitated, how should she even react in this situation? “Thank you for... helping Yellow learn how to...”

 

“...Love?” Greg asked hesitantly.

 

“I was thinking relax but sure, love works too.” Domina said finally. Steven cleared his throat and Domina could practically hear Yellow say ‘Can we  _ please _ move on?’ 

 

“You said we’d talk.” Steven said hopefully.

 

“I did.” Domina said. “I... walk with me, to the ship?” 

 

“Uh...” Greg hesitated, his face going very nervous very quickly.

 

“I’m not taking him anywhere.” Domina said, holding her hands up in surrender. “I promise, he said he wanted to see my ship, and I told him I’d talk to him about Homeworld.”

 

“Alright, ok good.” Greg said. “Hope to see you again... maybe you should come visit, after all you’re family.” Stars, that was a word she hadn’t heard in a while. Domina smiled softly.

 

“I’ll have to.”

 

“So... don’t you need my help?” Steven asked as they made their way to the Styx.

 

“Oh I definitely do.” Domina said. “But you’re fourteen.” 

 

“So? I can learn about Diamond stuff. I’m old enough, how old were you?”

 

“Twelve.” Domina sighed. “But that’s different. Anyway, your father’s here and...” Domina paused, and shook her head to clear it. No not the time to think about her father. There would be time for that later. “Enjoy your life here while you can.” Domina turned and smiled down at him. “Homeworld’s not going anywhere. And who knows, maybe I’ll finally be able get some changes made.”

 

“Well...” Steven frowned, irritated. “Is there anything I can do to help?” Domina shook her head as she opened the door to The Styx, definitely Yellow’s child.

 

“I’ll see what I can send you...” Then she paused as the door opened in front of them and Steven’s eyes went wide. She’d have to work on setting up communications. Somehow.

****

Pink ordered another screen.

 

“At least I didn’t break it this time!” Domina said cheerily, happier than she had been when they arrived on Earth. Which was good, it had been too long since Pearl had seen her happy. 

 

“True, hopefully Steven will find it useful and be able to help some. I know her- his pearl was certainly happy to have contact back with Homeworld.” Pearl said. That was an understatement, Yellow could certainly be dramatic.

 

“Good,” Domina said still smiling. The diamond leaned back in her chair and opened the ship’s console. Instantly the screen filled with alerts from Homeworld, and Domina groaned, only a little dramatically.

 

“Yellow mentioned that the Crystal Gems are still on Earth.” Pearl continued hesitantly. Her feelings on the Crystal Gems were... complicated to say the least. Between how their actions had disrupted her life before and how she used her extraordinary amount of freedom within her position now, there was a lot to process when she dwelled on it.

 

Domina’s face immediately went serious, not in anger or in any attempt to project the image of a diamond, just as if she had remembered an uncomfortable fact.

 

“They... are.” Domina said, she paused and looked at pearl a few times. “I spoke with Rose Quartz.” 

 

Pearl froze. 

 

“Oh.” She said shortly, opening her own console. Normally that ended the conversation, Domina was polite enough not to pry into her past with Pink Diamond, and Pearl certainly wasn’t going to volunteer any information.

 

“Pearl?” Domina said, in a tone that projected a child of about 10, wondering if she would be allowed to go on a supply run without her supervision.

 

“Yes, Domina?” She asked, already dreading the oncoming questions.

 

“I... have something to tell you.”

  
  
  



End file.
